With three games against the Yankees on the horizon and two teams nipping at their tails in the wild card standings, the reeling Red Sox do not need to deal with any more obstacles.
They just might get one in the form of Mother Nature.
Rain is expected to fall for much of the weekend in New York, with the heaviest stuff predicted for Friday and Saturday. The threat is severe enough that the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the area from Friday afternoon through Saturday evening, calling for "periods of heavy rain" during that time.
Rainfall is expected to range from one to three inches with as much as four in some areas.
Sunday looks a bit better, with just a 30 percent chance of precipitation. The Red Sox have not even named a starter for that day’s game.
If a game is rained out, it is critical that the teams find a way to play a doubleheader over the weekend. If they can't, there could be myriad problems presented with the schedule going forward.
Both American League Division Series are scheduled to begin next Friday. However, the one day off between the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs is also the day set aside for any play-in games if the Red Sox are tied with either the Rays or Angels in the wild card race. There also remains a very outside chance that those three teams could wind up in a three-way tie, which would require two days of play-in games.
If by some chance Boston and New York can only play two games this weekend, and if the Red Sox are in a position at the end of Wednesday's action where they are one-half game ahead or behind in the wild card race, they would be forced to play a makeup game with the Yankees, who obviously would want no part of it, likely throwing out a lineup loaded with minor leaguers.
That game would be played Thursday, presumably, and if any ties are created by its result then play-in games would come after that. Although extremely small, the possibility remains that there could be a Sox-Yanks makeup game followed by two days of play-in games on Friday and Saturday and then the start of the ALDS on Sunday, two days after it is currently scheduled.
